Thank you Bon Secours/Mercy Health, Virtual Open House, Cheryl Hanna-Truscott

Dear Ones,

Autumn is upon us and we hope your are all enjoying the change of seasons. I am just back from Haiti and even in a tropical country there are signs of transformation. The rains have returned, so power is more consistent, but unfortunately waterways are prone to flooding, making transportation difficult. Our trusty Landcruisers are now forging rivers, and a weekly bath is necessary to keep the mud down.

We are taking this time to turn inwards for a bit, to rest and rejuvenate before our next wonderful class of students begin their midwifery journey on 25 October. This is the most well educated cohort to go through the Nadene Brunk Eads School, with 100% of applicants being licensed infermieres, the equivalent of the United States’ Registered Nurse designation. We can’t wait to get to know them better and support them on their journey!

Our last team of earthquake relief midwives travels south to the quake zone this week. It has been an honor to serve alongside other health care workers in the disaster area. Again, we would like to thank Bon Secours/Mercy Health for helping us to do this vital work.

Our first Virtual Open House on 29 September was a great success! We had a large turnout, and so enjoyed sharing our year’s accomplishments with you, our MFH community. If you would like to watch the Zoom recording, here is the link:  https://youtu.be/QlmWfJqFjW8

Continuing our series of virtual events, I would like to invite you to “An Intimate Evening with Cheryl Hanna-Truscott: Midwife and Maternal Health Photographer.” Cheryl is a retired midwife and renowned photographer from the Seattle area and has used her gift to document goings-on at MFH since 2012. Her work is stunning and insightful, and MFH has been blessed by her gift since 2012. She will be joining Social Engagement Specialist Anna Eme to discuss Haiti, mothers and babies, and how her photography tells their stories. This event will take place in mid November, so watch our social media and your email for more information!

And as always, thank you again for all the support and love you have given us over the past tumultuous months. I feel like all the adjectives (unprecedented, complex, etc) have been robbed of their power, as we have seen them so many times, but this truly has been an extraordinary time to be at MFH. Not always easy, but extraordinary. Not always pleasant, but extraordinary. However, this is our work, and the support we receive from you, our extended MFH family, makes everything we do possible. Thank you!

Love always,

Jane Drichta
Executive Director
Midwives for Haiti